Fruit-sizing machine.



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FRUIT SZlNG MACHINE.

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Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

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WILLIAM G. PRICE, OF NORTH YAKIMA, WASHINGTON.

FRUIT-SIZING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Application filed October 10, 1913. Serial No. 794,476.

To aZZ 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ViLnLiM G. PRICE,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of North Yakima, in the county of Yakima and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fruit-Siz ing Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to apparatus for sizing apples or other fruit.

In some of the Western States where apples are grown in large quantities, it is custoiiiary to pack these apples in boxes, and y while there are many different sizes, only one size is packed in each box, the boxes being all of the same size. The usual method is for the person packing 'the apples to determine the size by the eye, and as they are packed by hand, the task is ance that the work will be done accurately so far as the sizingof the apples is concerned. l Y.

In my invention I have taken advantage yof the fact that the specific gravity of all f apples of a variety, as for instance Jonathe sizing is done by weight, -Only one variety is run through a machine at one time, and the machine can be adjusted to suit the thans, from one'locality, is practically the same, and have devised apparatus by which 1 specific gravity of different' varieties of apples, which vary from each other slightly. v To these ends my invention consists, genv erally stated, in feeding the apples successively into a cup which is moved by a spring f of suiiicient strength to throw the apples so that they leave the cup as a projectile at an angle of about from the horizontal and by making the cu-p so light in weight and adjusting thestrength of the spring, so it :will throw the small sized applev a' certain distance and the largest sized apple a 'correspondingly less distance,'the intermediate sizes being thrown varying distances between according to weight, theA apples being deposited into' bags' arranged to receive them, and rolling from the bags into bins from which they are taken to be packed.

In the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation of mv improved apparatus. the cup ,in its relative position being indicated in dotted lines; Fig.z 2 is a plan view; F ig. 3 is a section onmthe line an arduous one A v and at the same time an vexpensive one,

while at the same timethere is no assurthe crank arm 15,

3-3 Fig. l, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the cup.

In the drawings the numeral 2 designates the suitable framework, and near one end of said frame-work is arranged the chute 3, on which the apples to be sized are fed. Mounted in the upright 4 of the frame is the feeding-wheel 5 which consists of two flanges G and 7 spaced a suitable distance apart and forming the groove 9 to receive the apples from the chute 3. The feedingwheel is provided with the pick-up pins 10 which are covered with rubber or other suitable material to prevent the bruising of the apples and said pins are adapted to pick up the apples as they come from the chute 3,5

and carry them around one by one to be delivered tothe chute 11 which projects up into the groove/ofthe feedingswheel, said chute being supported by the bracket 12 secured to the upright 13 lof the frame 2.

rllhe feeding-wheel 5 is provided with the cams 14 on ,its outer face, said cams being arranged at proper intervals for the purpose more fully hereinafter set forth. The

open at the bottom to let dirt or other mate?` rial fall through. 'In order to stifen the leather of the cup and prevent its passing through the rim 18 when the cup is released and the apple discharged, I provide the stiffening plate 19 which may be formed of thin clock-spring steel soldered to the inside of the rim 18 and extending down therefrom and secured to the lower end of the cup in any suitable manner. Furthermore this plate prevents the apple from catching on the rim of the cup when discharged therefrom. as the apple due to centrifugal action will be forced against this metal arm in its discharge from the cup when the cup arm l? is released. and' the leather of the cup at -tliis point is prevented from bulging.

The inner ends of the cup-arm 17 diverge as at 20 where they are connected to the pivot-bearing 21 mounted in the fnamer A spring 22 is connected to the lcup-arm l? as at 23 and said spring is connected to the eye-bolt 2st carried by the frame.

A wire 25 is soldered or otherwise secured t0 the cup-arm 17, and Said wire is connected at its opposite end to the arm 26 on the pivot-bearing 21. A second arm 27 on the pivot-bearing 21 is connected to the link 28 which is connected to the wire 29. The opposite end or the wire 29 is connected to the lever 30 pivoted atBl in the trame. The upper end of the lever 30 is in the path of the cams 14 and is adapted to be engaged thereby to hold the 'cup in its lowered or receivingfposition. ln this position the spring 22 is extended and just as soon as the cam 14e passes beyond the lever k3Q) the spring- 22 contracts and the cnpearm 17 is raised to the position indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1, and the 'apple is ldischarged from the cup.

I provide buffers' and 83 which 'act as stops to control theinoveinent of the cup`- arm 17 in the arc through which it moves. The buier 32 is supported by the upright 13, uand said buffer consists of the ,spools 34; Iconnected to said upright and a piece ot rawhide, or :other sui-table material, 35 which is passed around 'the spools and its 'endee'enn'ected by the 'spring 36. The butier 33 is of iike construction and is vcarried by the projecting arm 37 'ci the trame. The "cup-arm 1i' when released and acted on by the spring 2,2 strikes the buer 33, and the impact 'oi the blow is relieved by the yielding` action of the buffer. ln the saine manner when the cup-arm is lowered to receiving position, it Comes in 'Contact with the buer 32 and the torce of the impact is likewise relieved.

The bags '38, l39 and t()y v'are supported by the chains' a1 Vcarried by the trame 'and 'said bags are-connected to said chains yby means et the Yinterposed "springs 42. yThe bot-torn 'ot the bags. are inclined, as 'at 43, and openings 4A: are provided through which the apples pass to be discharged into the 'chutes or bins '-i', 46 and 47. Each of these chutes re rceiv'es apples oi a certain size, and the packer stands in position to rake the apples trom said 'chutes and pack them into boxes for shipment.

T he bags are held at their top and bottom corners by parallel cords 4S which prevent the apple when falling and striking' the bag; from pushing the bottom of the bag too much out of place, for the apples to roll properly into the bins "or chutes. rThe buffers 49 are :carried by the framev and are rvadapted to cnshlon'the apples ias they leave the bags and before they drop into the bins.

l have :shown in Figs. 2"'and 3 the arrangenient of the bags in which the'bin's are on both sides or tire line of page with every other bag turned in the lopposite direction so that halt v`of the apples roll into the bins on one side, and halt into bins on the other y side. 'hisiorm of construction permits the Vinches apart. In this way,

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bins to be twice as Wide as before, which has points of advantage, as one packer can then take apples from three bins and pack them into three boxes.

As above stated, my invention operates by taking advantage of the diiierence in weight of the same variety of apples. The smaller sizes of apples vary in weight successively (beginning with the smallest size that is packed) less than l of an ounce. The apples are fed to the chiite 3 and as they pass down said chute they are picked up fone by one by the feeding-wheel *5V and carried into the chatel l1..v From the chiite 1.1 these 'drop one at a time into the'cup 16. The ycams 1i are timed to release the arm 30 'each' time an apple drops into the 'cap 16 and when `said lever 30 is released, the 'spring 22 acts to move 'the cup-*arm through the lare `ot av circle up into, the position indicated in dotted lines Fig'. i, 'and the apple' discharged from the cap 'in somewhat `they manner. of 'a' projectile, rEhe apple lea-vesV the cup at van angle of about 45D from 'the horizontal and by-inalrf ing thel cup very li' ht in weight, .and by aid-` justing the strength of thespring 22 so that 'it will throw 'the smallest :sized apple` :appro'xiinatel'y. largest sized pointswhereth'e intermediate size oit apples drop are approximatelyy spaced about 8 have made the less than oz. difference inweilght separate the apples, p is an easy matter to drop tli'eminto 'separate bins. 1l`he apples' leave the cupat velocities varying' according 'to their' weight. By testing; Acups with the piveted 'spring arms ot different weights l have ydetermined that the lighter ythe weightyef the ycup arm the greater willy be the distance of Aseparation at the points where the `diierent sizes of apples tall, and Valso that by making the arm of spring steel` so that it bends when theA .no n

apple is beingl thrown a: slight additional 'amount of V'separation of the points where the apples tall is obtained. The distance:theV

apple is lthrown 'depends entirely npon its weight and upon the constant strength or re- Y action of the throwing' spring, and does not depend upon the velocity with which themachine is running. By making they helical spring 22 'stronger the apples would be thrown farther and they separation would bei greater. The `apples 'when thrown in this manner into the bags. dropr oneA :at a time 206 inches, it will throw'r the appie :only ,4S inches. andthe' i for example, S inches, so that itinto the bans and as these bags are' springp supported and yield readily, the apple is not bruised and each apple rolls oui-,vinto its bin out of the 'way o'l'the 'succeeding apple.

The 'throwing spring acts with a constant torce to move the cup in the are et a. circle, and valways imparts to the'nioving vempty cup the same amo-unt rof torce.

same- Icup carries an apple,- aV part oit this When the force is imparted to the apple and the force with which the cup moves is correspondingly reduced. The larger the apple, the more force is imparted to the apple, with a corresponding reduction in force that is imparted to the cup. For this reason, large apples are thrown with a slightly greater torce than small apples. The difference in the forces which are imparted to large and small apples does not equal their diiference in weight, and for this reason the small apples are thrown greater distances than the large ones.

`When the apple is being thrown the centrifugal force pushes the apple hard against the outer rim of the cup and to prevent its being bruised or checked in its movement by catching under vt'llnnrinris the purpose of the stiii'ening plate 19, a'id furthermore, said plate prevents the leather of the cup from moving in the direction of rthe apple or passing up through the rim of the cup when the arm is released and the apple discharged.

After the discharge of the apple, the cam 14: again engages the lever-arm 30 and through connections described, the cup is quickly brought Aback to receiving position to receive the. next apple which is brought over from the chute 3 by the feeding wheel The apparatusworks with great rapidity and accuracy when once adjusted for a certain variety of apples and the tedious labor of sorting the apples by hand is done away with, while the cost of sorting is greatly reduced, and the only manual labor involved is in packing the apples in boxes.

While I have described my invention and referred to it as adapted for the sorting or sizing of apples, I wish to include within its scope other fruits, as well as nuts and Vegetables, or even other articles in the sorting or sizing of which it may be found applicable. i

What I claim is:

l. In apparatus, for sizing fruit, the conibination with a suitable frame, of a grooved feeding-wheel, pins in said groove, a springactuated swinging arm, a cup carried thereby. means for holding said arm in receiving position with reference `to said wheel, means for releasing said arm, and a series of receptacles at varying distances from said Cup.

2. In apparatus for sizing fruit, the combination with a` suitable frame, of a grooved Feeding-wheel, pins in said wheel, of a spring actuated swinging-arm, a cup carried thereby, a lever, connections between said lever and said arm. cams at intervals on said feeding-Wheel adapted to engage said arm to hold the cup in receiving position with reference to said wheel, and a series of receptacles at varying distances from said cup.

3. In apparatus for sizing fruit, the combination with a suitable frame, of a chute, a 'feeding-wheel in operative position with reference to said chute, a spring actuated swinging arm, a cup carried by said arm, means for holding said arm with said cup in receiving position with reference to said wheel, means for releasing said arm, and a series of receptacles at varying distances from said cup.

4. In apparatus for sizing fruit, the combination with a suitable frame, of a spring actuated swinging arm, a flexible cup carried thereby, a stilening member on said arm connected to said cup, and a series of receptacles at varying distances from said arm.

5. In apparatus for sizing fruit, the combination with a suitable frame of means for throwing the fruit, a yieldingly mounted receptacle to receive the fruit having a discharge opening therein, a bin to receive the fruit and a b'uiier in the path of the fruit in passingl from said receptacle to said bin.

In apparatus for sizing articles, the combination with a suitable frame of a spring actuated throwing means for throwing thearticles different distances according to weight. I

7. In apparatus for sizing articles, the combination with a suitable frame, of a swinging arm, a cup carried thereby and a spring connected to said arm.

8. In a device for sizing fruit comprising a sizing distributer, a plurality of receivers and a plurality of bins located on each side of said receivers and communicating therewith, the receivers in succession discharging lle fruit to the right and to the left into said ins.

9. In a device for sizing fruit comprising a sizing distributer, a. plurality of receivers havingl oppositely inclined bottoms and a plurality of bins located on each side of said receivers and communicating therewith, said receivers in succession discharging the fruit to the right and to the left into said bins.

In testimony whereof, I the said WILLIAM G. Pinon have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM G. PRICE.

Witnesses CanamA GROSENBAUGH, MILAN VELIKANJE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents cach, by addresssixw,r the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

